WAR ON THE HOLME FRONT: CHUTES AND DAGGERS

Holme, October 2008

The last major event of the 2008 season for this association was the excellent Village run event, "Life on the Holme Front”.  This event was in its second year and run primarily by Amanda Gibbons from the Village assisted by our air asset contact, George Francis.

This Association was asked at the start of the season if we would support it. Many of the players on this one have supported us in the past and although quite late in the season we decided to at least turn up with a few guys and get involved, that was until I attended my first Recce in early September where I discovered the amount of Work being put into it by a few.  With the opportunity of operating in the grounds and building at Holmewood Hall with all the history behind it, it was decided to support this one with all the troops we could muster, from our own association and any others that would be interested in supporting our efforts.

The organisers this year wanted to retain the WWII theme village fair type event, but at the same time allow for a more serious Living History approach to what was going on down at the hall.  To that end, this Association and attached personnel were to recreate the actual use of the hall during 1944/45 when it was both involved in Special Forces Training and supplying logistics for SF operations through Harrington and Tempsford.  This element of the event would be called “Chutes and Daggers”.

To do this, we were to cover both Army Air Force units from Harrington/Holme and US Special Forces with those attached covering the Jedburgh element who also trained here at Holmewood Hall.  To add to this, the girls from the group's “Army Nurses” would undertake a civilian impression to represent the female agents who passed through this training establishment.

The following report will cover what was achieved over the weekend and illustrate how the group moved from impression to impression to achieve the ultimate aim of bringing "Area H" back to life.

The overall scenario we were to use involved representing the AAF ground units who would have been involved in working at Holme (nothing to do with the Airbase at Glatton down the road) and US Special Forces undertaking training at Holmewood Hall.  However, on arrival our first task was to get the main gate Guard Post established. This was to be located on the very same spot where the post was originally.

Having arrived on the Friday afternoon we had just enough time to also establish the Field Kitchen and mess hall in the grounds of the hall. We located near to the Pistol range and the original road that led into the storage site. We were trying out a different set up for the Field kitchen that would see it more under canvass with the serving area under an awning, this worked very well and all this area remained dry throughout the weekend.

Although training was conducted in side the hall in WWII, the Special Forces troops were billet entirely under canvas in the grounds of Holmewood and this was simulated with a few troop tents in the area of the mess hall.

While conducting SF impressions the vehicle fleet was parked up along the storage site access road ready for convoy scenarios that we would undertake as a first scenario on the Saturday morning.

Once set up down at the hall the advance party from the group convoyed over to the Admiral Wells pub for a meal before taking the wagons up to the Village Hall ready for the evenings Home Front Dance.  This Pub was a favourite drinking hole for the men based at Glatton and the photos on the walls honour those men.

Come Saturday morning, the first task once all troops had mustered at the Hall was to take a supply convoy out to the storage dump deep in the forest behind the Hall and grounds.  Access to this was through the original assess gate and follow the one way concrete road that the original trucks had taken.  In WW2, much of the Ammunition and stores were transported covertly using London Brick civilian trucks, however sometimes for the collection of specialist kit on a day to day basis the 1094th Quartermaster Company from Harrington would provide transport and convoys with MP support for such tasking.  Our convoy represented such an operation

With stores collected it was time to return to the Hall via a few circuits of the village to give the impression of AAF in the area.  It certainly was busy, with troops and vehicles coming and going.

Once back at the hall and within the walls of the Special Forces establishment, it was time to change roles to represent Special Forces in Training.  While out on AAF Convoy missions the attached SOE /Jedburghs and Female Agents had been holding the fort and keeping the public entertained.

For the girls, it was their turn to walk in the “Footsteps of Heroes”.

Before re-deploying as SF, we took time out for chow.  As usual, T4 Bob Mac Donald and PFC Frank Somerville produced some great food from the Field Kitchen.

While the troops went for chow, SF training staff mustered in the Execs office for a briefing on the new intake of potential Operational Group Soldiers.

Lt Carpenter, Staff Sgt Kitcher, we have 9 guys who have passed the first part of their selection and will get their Wings today.

Lt Carpenter, check the programe and have them seated in the briefing room for 1100hrs.  Oh, and get those dames jumping into France tomorrow to come along too

Yes, why not, those boys are good and some of our guys will be operating with them in a month or so.  Sgt Kitcher go tell them to be in the briefing room 1100hrs sharp.

Well done on getting this far, many of your original unit have not! Sat here with you today are men and women of SOE, shortly they will be leaving us for operations against the enemy. On completion of your training, you and others who will join you in a week or so will also be behind the lines. Before however, you still have further training to undertake and that will start today.

You have been successful so far and today you receive your SF wings. The Staff Sgt here will be your Platoon Sgt from here on in, Lt Carpenter will be your Platoon Leader, don’t let them down. See you at the flag staff at 1300hrs, oh and spit shine those jump boots! Fall Out!

By now, the hall started to buzz with visitors, but it was quite and peaceful in the gardens under the flag staff, the first time since the Training School and Area H closed in 1945 that an American Flag had been flown at Holmewood Hall.

The new OG's Fell in and prepared to be marched on by their new Platoon Sgt, a Veteran of several operations into Northern France.

Congratulations, Private Mawer

Troops, dismiss!

Back at the SF Training School the new NORSO troops undertake support weapons training.

The American used 81mm Mortar was amongst the largest piece of ordnance the Partisans and Resistance fighters would deploy on aggressive actions against the enemy.  These would be dropped by container to the groups prior to use with instructions on how to operate them.  This was not a very successful way to equip them, so OG‘s were to train the resistance fighter on this equipment in theatre.  But first, the soldiers themselves had to be trained on the equipment and learn the principles of siting and operation.

Back at the SF Training School the new NORSO troops undertake support weapons training.

The American used 81mm Mortar was amongst the largest piece of ordnance the Partisans and Resistance fighters would deploy on aggressive actions against the enemy. These would be dropped by container to the groups prior to use with instructions on how to operate. This was not a very successful way to equip them so OG ‘s were to train the resistance fighter on this equipment in theatre. But first the Soldiers themselves had to be trained on the equipment and learn the principles of sitting and operation.

Late afternoon, the day’s activities drew to a close and it was time to undertake our last AAF tasking, a convoy out to some of the Glatton base points of interest including the two memorials.   Our tour guide was Dave from Ranger Re-enactments, a very knowledgeable individual who knew the area well.

Saturday night's dance in the Holme Village Hall was a recreation of the 457th Bomb Groups 200 Mission Dance and because of this all members of the group planned to attend as Air Corp. To that end members of this Association kitted out in Class A and B dress to represent Officers and Enlisted men of the 457th.

After quite a hectic day, it was great to unwind have a few beers and hit the dance floor at the 40's dance at the Holme Village Hall.  It was a great night and a great way to finish the main show season.

At the end of the evening and after clearing the dance floor, bars and cloak room it was time to convert the Dance Hall into a billet. Many hands make light work and before long the hall was squared away and Cots and beds laid out and occupying every spare bit of space. It was great to see every one mucking in and just coming together to get the job done. Before final lights out every one seemed to revert to 8 year olds with the usual fun and games going on of the type one would find on a school camping trip.

Slowly, people dropped off to sleep with the jokes and ghost stories being replaced by snoring and farting, and that was just from the girls!

Some time during the night it started to rain and rain heavy, it was going to be a wet one in the morning.   Yep, at first light the rain could still be heard, oh well, at least we had one dry day, could have been worse.

After a little bit of a lie in we were up and dressed with waterproofs thrown over our kit. Vehicle were loaded up and starter buttons engaged, Pops' WC52 needed a little help with a tow start, but once fired up we headed out down to Holmewood Hall to be met by Bob and Frank who had already started getting the hearty Breakfast on. Within a few minutes the grub was ready and all tucked in with morale soaring with every bite. The new Field Kitchen set up on this occasion certainly played dividends as the covered kitchen area provided the needed shelter from the rain which was still hammering it down.

Well it certainly looked like it was going to be yet another washout, however while the Admin staff started to slowly pack things away the girls (who had reverted back to Nurses from their agent tasks of Saturday) undertook some Officer training in the library. This was a nice chilled out lesson covering several aspects of how to re-enact a female Commissioned Officer while at the same time giving our “Army Nurses” a chance to dry out a little.

With no let up with the weather, the Memorial service was moved to the Village Hall, but the association nether the less mustered for this and marched up to the Hall with its wreath to lay. The service was simple but very good and hit all the right notes with us, even the singing was well supported by the “First Triple A” Choir.

All credit to 2nd Lt Winchester, who laid the wreath on behalf of the Association and thanks yet again to Frank for arranging the splendid floral tribute; he really does do a great job sorting these for us.

After the memorial service we again returned to Holmewood Hall, this time to finally load up the trucks before finally bidding the WWII Special Forces Training establishment farewell.

A very good weekend with one of our best turn out of troops from the group to date, all credit to those who travelled so far to take part and a big well done to all the other groups and individuals who helped make the weekend so enjoyable.

Lee Bowden

First Sgt

FAAA